Segregated Social Networks
The article “Self-Segregation: Why It’s so Hard for Whites to Understand Ferguson” uses the concept of social networks to analyze the response to the shooting of unarmed, black teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri that occurred in August. The riots that occurred in Ferguson, a mostly black population, following the shooting have sparked a nation-wide debate over the issue of racial equality. Polls drawn since the shooting exposed that the way black and white Americans are viewing this incident are very different. While more than 75% of black respondents said that the shooting was part of a broader pattern in the way police treat black men, only 40% of whites agreed. Similarly, 80% of black Americans polled said that Brown’s shooting raises important issues about race that need to be discussed, while only 18% of whites agreed with that statement.
By drawing on techniques from social network analysis, the article argues that one of the main reasons for this divergence in thought is the make-up of integrated social networks. In the Public Religion Research Institute’s 2013 American Values Survey, respondents were asked to identify seven people with whom they had discussed important matters in the past 6 months prior to the survey. The results show how segregated white social circles are. Overall, social networks of white Americans are 91% white and only 1% black. The study also found that 75% of whites have white-only social networks with absolutely no minority presence. See the results from the poll, displaying the racial and ethnic makeup of white social networks below:
The article argues that social separation is one of the main reasons why whites and blacks have responded so differently to the incident in Ferguson. The author argues that, if whites wish to understand the unrest in Ferguson, then they need to expand their current social circles. In class we have learned how information and ideas are diffused throughout social networks. However, if such social networks are limited to only people with similar racial backgrounds, then the type of information and opinions flowing through these networks will also lack diversity. In order to create a more open and understanding environment, we must broaden and diversify the social networks to which we belong.
See the full article here: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/08/self-segregation-why-its-hard-for-whites-to-understand-ferguson/378928/